Dems Looking For GOP Votes On Jobs Bill; GOP Not Interested

With a vote coming up Monday to begin debate on a jobs bill, Democrats are hoping they can get a few Republican votes for cloture. But the Republicans are looking to block the bill, even though they support its content, claiming instead that they've been mistreated by Democrats.

A Democratic leadership aide tells TPMDC that they might have the votes for cloture -- but it "all depends on Republicans."

"We are hoping that Republican senators like Scott Brown will oppose the will of their leadership, and buck the demands of Republican lobbyists who are busy scheming to defeat Senator Reid's legislation as we speak," the aide said.

But an aide for Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized Democrats for not allowing amendments on the bill.

It's a "bizarre first vote to have after all the bipartisan talk," the aide said.

And as Roll Call reports today, Republican Senate leaders told more than 100 lobbyists yesterday that they plan to oppose the bill because of the process -- not because of the actual policy.

"The feeling is they aren't going to say anything in opposition to the bill, except to say it's incomplete," a lobbyist who attended the meeting said. "They are not opposed to the bill, they just believe their rights as the minority have been abridged."